Machine for bending flat iron.



NU. 709,283. Patented Sept. I6, I902. W. VOLLMEB.

MACHINE FOR. BENDING FLAT IRON.

(Application filed May 31, 1902.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VVILHELM VOLLMER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

MACHINE FOR BENDING FLAT IRON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 709,283, dated September 16, 1902.

Application filed May 31, 1902. Serial No. 109,659. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILHELM VoLLMER, a citizen of the United States, residing in New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Bending Flat Iron, of which the following is a specification.

In Letters Patent of the United States No. 699,858, granted to me May 13, 1902, I have shown a machine for bending flat and angle iron in which are employed'a guide-block, an operating-arm or bending-lever, and a former or forming-block adjustable toward and away from said guide-block and lever. In further developing this same style of machine it was found that while the means shown in said patent for retaining the forming-block in position during the bending operation were suf ficiently strong for ordinary use it was desirable to have a much stronger and more reliable means for retaining the block in position when bending thick or very stiff metal. It was further desirable to arrange such retaining means so that the strain upon the same would be a pullinginstead of a crushing strain. Furthermore, it was desirable to dispense, if possible, with all obstructions in front of the forming-block, so as to leave the base-plate of the machine perfectly clear at the front, wherebythe metal could be handled with greater freedom and several angles bent in,

the metal in close succession, if desired. It

was also found when using the machine referred to that during the act of bending there was a movement between the contact-surfaces of the metal and the bending-lever, and this friction offered a serious objection, as it increased the labor, particularly when bending heavy metal. For overcoming these objections and providing a machine specially adapted for heavy work this invention consists of certain combinations and arrangements of parts which will be fully described hereinafter and finally pointed out in the claims. I

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of my improved machine. Fig. 2 is a top view of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on line 3 3, Fig. 2. Figs. 4 and 5 are perspectives illustrating a strip of metal before and after bending. I Fig.

6 is a perspective view of the bending-lever, and Fig. 7 is a side view, on a smaller scale than Figs. 1,2, and 3, showing a machine constructed for bending narrow or thin metal.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, A indicates the base-plate or bed of the machine, which is supported by suitable feet at and provided at one end with alongitudinal inwardly-extending guide-slot a and with recessed guideways a one at each side of the slot, at the under side of the base-plate A. Upon the baseplate is mounted, at the upper side of the same, a guide-block or bending-block B, and upon said guide-block is located a top plate 0. Said block and plate are secured to the bed or plate A by bolts or any other suitable means. Between the base-plate A and the top plate O is pivoted the bending-lever D, which when in retracted position enters a suitable recess in the guide-block. E indicates the forming-block, which is mounted at the upper side of the base-plate and is provided with a downwardly-extending shank c, said shank having a flange 6', adapted to slide in the guideways a Such being the general features of this type of machine, the particular means which I have devised for adjusting and retaining the forming-block in position comprises two adjustable retainingmembers, one connected with the upper end or top and one with the lower end or bottom of the forming-block, wherebyboth ends of the block are adjusted and rigidly held in position and prevented from yielding in the slightestduring the bending operation. These members extend in rearward direction, so as to leave the front or left-hand end of the base-plate free. The strain upon them is a pulling one and not a pushing or crushing one, so that all discrepancies of the block from true perpendicularposition, liable to be caused by the buckling of a retaining member arranged at the outer or forward end of the formingblock, are eliminated. The

lower retaining member is composed of a rod d, threaded at its outer or front end and engaging a threaded sleeve 11, secured to the projecting lower end of the block E below the bed A. At its opposite end the rod d passes through a bearing (1 of the base-plate i the bearing with a collar g and at the rear side of the same with a collar and with a gear- Wheel g To the forward end of the plate g is hinged a swinging arm 9 provided with a slot g located to receive astud g projecting upwardly from the forming-block E. The arm g projects beyond said stud in the form of a handle 9 The stud is preferably provided with a shoulder g so that when the arm is swung into engagement with the stud it is arrested in horizontal position in alinement with the strain to be resisted.

To render the devicecapable of'quick and convenient adjustment, it is necessary that means should be provided whereby the two retaining members may be simultaneously and equally adjusted, and for this purpose I provide a mechanism terminating in a single hand-wheel by means of which this simultaneous and uniform adjustment may be accomplished. Said mechanism serves also by the friction of its parts as a locking means or device whereby both members are locked in any position to which they maybe set,whereas when no such device is employed the intermittent application and removal of strain from the retaining members is apt to cause the same to turn in their sleeves d g, thereby destroying the adjustment. This mechanism consists of a shaft h, journaled in suitable hangers h 71. of the top plate and bed, respectively, said shaft extending between the retaining members and being provided at one end with a gear-wheel h engaging the gear 9 and at the other end with a gear h engaging the gear 01 and having also an intermediate gear hiwith which meshes a gear 71, supported on a shaft journaled in a suitable bracketh", attached to the guide-block B. On the outer end of the shaft of said gear h is a hand-wheel h For setting the metal to proper position in the machine I provide an adjustable gage mounted on a rod 70, secured at its inner end to the guide-block. The gage is capable of longitudinal and circumferential movement on the rod, so as to be set at any desired point or to be swung out of the way of the metal when not desired to be used. It is held in position where placed by means of a set-screw H.

For preventing the shifting movement between the metal and the bending-lever D, which occurs when a lever of the construction in my patent referred to is employed, and for increasing the leverage I so form the lever as to bring the fulcrumof the same into line with the outer or rear face of the metal to be bent, as shown atcc in Fig. 2. This is accom plished by providing trnnnions it of a diameter approximately twice the thickness of the body of the lever and locating the body of the lever at the underside of the trunnions--that is to say,away from the forming-block-,as shown in Fig. 2. By this construction when the lever is swung practically no movement of the metal on the lever takes place, except such as may result from the buckling of the metal at the bend, which amounts to little, and the laborof bending is thus materially reduced. The trunnions may be of any suitable diameter greater than the thickness of the body of the lever, so as to increase the leverage and decrease the friction to any extent desired.

In Fig. 7 is shown a machine of the same style as the one in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, with the exception that the upper retaining member and the operating mechanism are omitted. G is thetop plate, which is not provided in this case with a groove. The lower retaining member d, instead of being provided with a gear, as d, is provided with a hand-wheel d This machine is intended for bending narrower and thinner metal than the machine shown in the other figures, and for this purpose the single retaining member is entirely sufficient to hold the block in place. The metal is bent quickly and reliably and with a sharp corner and always intrue vertical alinement.

It is obvious that my improved machine may be operated either by hand or power and may be employed not only for bending flat iron, but also for bending round or squareor other bar-iron or metal of any shape within the rangeof size adapted for the particular machine.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a machine for bending fiat iron, the combination of a base or bed, a guide-block on the same, a laterally-movable bendinglever on the base, a forming-block adjustable longitudinally of the base and located at the forward side of the bending-lever, and an adjustable retaining member for said forming-block extending rearwardly from said forming-block and secured at its rear end at the opposite side of the bending-lever, against longitudinal movement, substantially as set forth.

2. In a machine for bending flat iron, the combination of a base or bed, a guide-block on the same, a bending-lever on the base, a forming-block adjustable longitudinally of the base, and two adjustable retaining members for said forming-block connected respectively one with the upper end and one with the lower end of the same, substantially as set forth.

3. In a machine for bending flat iron, the combination of a base or bed, a guide-block on the same, a bending-lever on the base, a forming-block adjustable longitudinally of the-base, two adjustable retaining members for said forming-block connected respectively with the upper and lower ends of the same, and means for simultaneously adjusting both of said members, substantially as set forth.

4. In a machine for bending flat iron, the combination of a base or bed, a guide-block on the same, a bending-lever on the base, a forming-block adjustable longitudinally of the base, two adjustable retaining members combination of a base or bed, a guide-block on the same, a bending-lever on the base, a forming-block adjustable longitudinally of the base, two adjustable retaining members for said forming-block, and a locking device for locking said members together in position, substantially as set forth.

7. In a machine for bending flat iron, the combination of a base or bed, a guide-block on the same, a bending-lever on the base, a forming-block adjustable longitudinally of the base, a stud on the forming-block, a lower retaining member for adjusting said block, and an upper retaining member comprising an adjustable rear portion and a forward portion hinged to said rear portion and adapted to be raised or lowered into engagement with said stud, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILHELM VOLLMER.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH H. NILEs, PAUL GoEPEL. 

